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PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 23 February 2019

Met Opera to hire all-black chorus for ‘Porgy and Bess’

By RONALD BLUM uncut version for the 1985
Associated Press Nathaniel Merrill produc-
NEW YORK (AP) — The Met- tion. That staging, which
ropolitan Opera will hire appeared 54 times through
an all-black outside chorus 1990, was presented in
next season for its first pre- three acts with 3 hours of
sentation in nearly three music and two intermissions
decades of the Gershwins’ for a total of 4 hours.
“Porgy and Bess,” which “It doesn’t feel excessively
opens the season on Sept. long,” Robinson said. “The
23. Performances of “Porgy original version just really
and Bess,” which premiered goes on and on and on.”
in 1935, are licensed by The last of the 13 perfor-
the Gershwin family, which mances on Feb. 1 will be
specifies an all-black cast. broadcast to movie the-
“Certainly it’s more com- aters around the world. A
plicated, but it’s worth the revival already is scheduled
complications because it’s in an upcoming season.
such a great piece,” Met “Porgy” is among five new-
general manager Peter to-the Met stagings next
Gelb. “Porgy,” by George season. Yannick Nezet-
and Ira Gershwin, and Du- Seguin, starting his second
Bose and Dorothy Hey- season as the Met’s mu-
ward, depicts a crippled sic director, leads Berg’s
beggar in a poor African- “Wozzeck” opening Dec.
American community of 27 in a William Kentridge
Charleston, South Carolina. production first seen at the
When the Met presented This undated image released by the Metropolitan Opera shows Eric Owens as Porgy, left, and 2017 Salzburg Festival in
“Porgy” for the first time in Angel Blue as Bess in the Gershwins’ “Porgy and Bess.” Austria. He also conducts
1985, it also hired an out- Associated Press revivals of Massenet’s
side chorus — at the time, have many African-Ameri- 400 people had auditioned they will interact as much “Werther” and Puccini’s
there were three black cans and other black artists for the “Porgy” chorus since as possible.” Eric Owens “Turandot,” which will mark
members of the Met’s reg- who are appearing on our November and 68 would and Angel Blue head the the Met’s first regular Sun-
ular chorus of 81. That has stage in major roles.” be chosen for rehearsals opening-night cast, which day performance on Oct.
increased to six in a group The Hungarian State Opera that start Aug. 5. is conducted by David 6. There will be 16 Sunday
of approximately the same created controversy last “We will have two existing Robertson and includes matinees next season, and
total now, the Met said. “I year when it presented an choruses at the same time Denyce Graves, Latonia the Met plans 23 in 1920-21
think the Met is regarded unauthorized production in the building,” he said. Moore, Golda Schultz and and 27 in 2020-21. Nezet-
as an institution that is col- with a largely white cast. “It’s going to be interest- Ryan Speedo Smith. Seguin plans to conduct as
orblind when it comes to Donald Palumbo, the Met ing but it’s going to be a Then-Met music director many as six productions in
casting,” Gelb said. “We chorus master, said about lot of fun. I’m hoping that James Levine insisted on an 2020-21. q

DuVernay, Zendaya help Vanity Fair toast Women in Hollywood

By LINDSEY BAHR cocktails while overlooking the must-see
Associated Press jetliner views of Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — By the time filmmaker DuVernay co-hosted the gathering with
Ava DuVernay got to Vanity Fair and Lan- Vanity Fair editor Radhika Jones and Ze-
come’s Women in Hollywood pre-Oscars ndaya, where they mingled with guests like
event Thursday night, she had already Lupita Nyong’o, Linda Cardellini, #MeToo
been to two other events that day. founder Tarana Burke, Maude Apatow
Not only that, she had to be “on” at each and Storm Reid, who starred in DuVernay’s
— they all had her name on the invitation. “A Wrinkle in Time.”
Such is the life in the days leading up to Many guests found themselves event-
the Academy Awards Sunday, where it hopping Thursday before Oscars weekend
can often seem like there are more parties swings into full gear, and there were many
than there are nominees to go around. to choose from.
Although DuVernay was a little tired, she Just a few blocks away Allison Janney and
was excited for Vanity Fair — a name Tiffany Haddish could be spotted at Cadil-
which has become almost synonymous lac’s annual party at the Chateau Mar-
with Oscars for the magazine’s famed mont.
post-show party. Like DuVernay, “RBG” filmmakers Julie Co-
But for DuVernay it was another reason. hen and Betsy West also came from Diane
As a co-host, she got to invite her own von Furstenberg’s luncheon for female Os-
batch of friends and peers to the chic gar- car nominees to the Vanity Fair reception.
den rooftop of the West Hollywood Soho But a third event was not in store for Cohen
House, where guests surrounded by pink and West, both New Yorkers, who decided
Ava DuVernay attends VH1 Trailblazer Honors 2019 at the Wilshire roses and a canopy of trees sipped on instead to save their energy for the next
Ebell Theatre on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019, in Los Angeles.
Associated Press their champagne and Belvedere vodka few days.q